Three court appearances next week could represent the most critical moment in the past year for DOJ's effort to target the provision of medical care for transgender minors.
Under what Federal law is such care illegal? No “Executive Order” counts. I’d like to know what bill was signed by the president, and the text of the law.
Does that even matter when the entire legal system is being weaponized? The cases could be (and certainly are) totally bogus and not grounded in ANY law, but the harm isn't in the conviction and punishment. They use the legal process itself AS the weapon, to get the information they want while spending our tax dollars to force organizations and hospitals to burn through their legal resources. It doesn't matter how far these cases get, or what legal basis they have in the law. The presumption of regularity in the US government is allowing DOJ to be used as a legal machine gun, spread firing at the entire leftist movement (more specifically the trans healthcare system in this case) and looting any targets they manage to hit.
It occurs to me, and I’d bet many others, that whatever gains DOJ makes against patient privacy and/or having the ability to interfere with patient care won’t be limited to gender affirming care. Everyone potentially, eventually, will have a stake in this. I think. Is that correct?
Are you absolutely crazy? I mean aside from the fact that we have HIPAA to protect patient data... like, I'm sorry, only an idiot with privilege says "Why would I care if my government spies on me? I have nothing to hide." One of the biggest concerns about this particular action is that the government wants trans people's data so that they can track us for future actions against us. But also, think about other ramifications. Let's say you're a leftist who votes Democrat, and you saw a therapist once. That goes in your record. Then the government says "Ahh, you have a history of mental health problems." and takes away your right to bear arms. Or your right to vote. Sure, these seem far fetched... to people who haven't experienced this type of discrimination before. But it's been done, in authoritarian regimes throughout history.
Of course we can trust the government not to abuse that info once they have it. Because DOJ demonstrated such integrity in redacting and publishing all of the Epstein files. And DHS and DOJ have been so honest and transparent about all things ICE. And the govt would never misuse private info in social security rolls, voter rolls, and voting histories to influence the midterms. 🙄
The entire legal system has been compromised, that’s for sure. But by the same argument, everything we do is in vain, whatever we do, especially obeying the law. The way to return to a nation of laws, is for everyone to obey the law and hold accountable those who don’t.
Sure Trump ignores the laws, court orders, subpoenas and even the constitution. But he doesn’t really know the boundary between his immunity and criminal prosecution. He’s desperately afraid of the midterms, because he’ll be impeached and removed from office. He’s running out of time to limit voters, even if he “obliterates” the Postal Service. He’s no longer obeyed by all his puppets in Congress, and after the midterms, the entire cabinet will be impeached — do you think all Republican Senators think Hegseth is a great Secretary of Defense (gulp, I mean War, which will go the way of the Gulf of America). Plus, he’s dying, and everyone who hates him, including Vance, will close in. Staunch MAGA supporters don’t even vote for his picks in the primaries.
You are right. The law has been corrupted and can’t be resurrected by anyone who has the power and courage to do it. But by strict adherence to law, and our refusal to let the .1% rule the world or steal all our assets, we have a chance. Even with the redistricting there’s no guarantee that the people left will choose corrupt Republicans.
It will take many years to undo enough of the damage to start feeling free again. We have to respect and trust one another, and stand our ground against Fascists. We can then restore kindness to the Federal and State governments and budgets.
The “stupidity” of the masses is born of religious nationalist leaders who profit from ignorance. But when they realize that there’s no “them” for budget cuts, that they will lose along with the neighbors who they think are stealing Healthcare and jobs from them, it will take time to find out they are in deep trouble, and their beloved pastors, who are really stealing their money, have left town. There is no “them” to blame, only “us”.
Well I would agree with what you're saying here, except I ALSO think we have to go much further. We need a new legal system framework in which there are penalties for filing bogus lawsuits like this. Kat Abughazaleh (and others) was sued by the DOJ for simply being at an ICE protest, and even though the court threw the case out in the very first hearing, she's still something like $10,000 in legal debt. We HAVE to defang the weaponization of legal fees and penalize anybody, even the DOJ, who brings these kinds of animus suits against people, hospitals, politicians, and other political opponents.
And that's just step one of the reforms we need to see. We need an ENTIRE Reconstruction, we need to finish the work that freed African Americans fought for and white Americans have fought to destroy. And we need to extend it to queer people, to trans people, to Muslims, to any other minority that's being targeted. We need to build an America in which EVERYONE has true freedom and "equity" is not a dirty word, but instead an (admittedly imperfect at times) ladder that we use to bring everybody up to the same level.
One step will be to assemble a team of lawyers to provide pro bono assistance to victims of dilatory civil lawsuits, and to penalize the DoJ for filing them, and bill the supposed victims for all legal fees. The DoJ must have a higher standard for filing administrative subpoenas, instead of handing them out like Halloween candy, to ICE as well as people who use the courts to harass parties with cases the accuser will lose.
Highly placed public figures should be prohibited from filing defamation lawsuits when they can’t prove monetary damages. And charged with criminal perjury if the evidence cannot be backed up by neutral parties.
There’s a song that has been playing in my head these past few days. “What’s It To Ya” sung to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus, you know *The Messiah* one where we’re supposed to stand up. Artist: Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio. I think you’ll enjoy it. https://youtu.be/F45EuGKE5rY?si=jUwHan8suLZQC-jv
(don’t worry, it only clocks in at 2:30 minutes, not nearly as long as Handel’s version. 😏)
I assume you are aware of the case by patients against Stanford in California, raising the same issues as in the NY case and citing the subpoena to that hospital since they haven't seen the one to the Stanford hospital. https://www.advocate.com/health/transgender-health/lawsuit-stanford-transgender-care-subpoena
Also, thanks for your thorough coverage of this very important issue.
Thanks! They're not suing DOJ or the feds, but I have added it in.
Echoing Ms. Moore's thanks for your thorough coverage of this important civil rights issue!
Under what Federal law is such care illegal? No “Executive Order” counts. I’d like to know what bill was signed by the president, and the text of the law.
Does that even matter when the entire legal system is being weaponized? The cases could be (and certainly are) totally bogus and not grounded in ANY law, but the harm isn't in the conviction and punishment. They use the legal process itself AS the weapon, to get the information they want while spending our tax dollars to force organizations and hospitals to burn through their legal resources. It doesn't matter how far these cases get, or what legal basis they have in the law. The presumption of regularity in the US government is allowing DOJ to be used as a legal machine gun, spread firing at the entire leftist movement (more specifically the trans healthcare system in this case) and looting any targets they manage to hit.
It occurs to me, and I’d bet many others, that whatever gains DOJ makes against patient privacy and/or having the ability to interfere with patient care won’t be limited to gender affirming care. Everyone potentially, eventually, will have a stake in this. I think. Is that correct?
Why would I care if the government looked at my health records?
Are you absolutely crazy? I mean aside from the fact that we have HIPAA to protect patient data... like, I'm sorry, only an idiot with privilege says "Why would I care if my government spies on me? I have nothing to hide." One of the biggest concerns about this particular action is that the government wants trans people's data so that they can track us for future actions against us. But also, think about other ramifications. Let's say you're a leftist who votes Democrat, and you saw a therapist once. That goes in your record. Then the government says "Ahh, you have a history of mental health problems." and takes away your right to bear arms. Or your right to vote. Sure, these seem far fetched... to people who haven't experienced this type of discrimination before. But it's been done, in authoritarian regimes throughout history.
Of course we can trust the government not to abuse that info once they have it. Because DOJ demonstrated such integrity in redacting and publishing all of the Epstein files. And DHS and DOJ have been so honest and transparent about all things ICE. And the govt would never misuse private info in social security rolls, voter rolls, and voting histories to influence the midterms. 🙄
Of course! Naturally.
Willful obtuseness
I agree with you, your concerns do seem far fetched.
Go on Youtube and find the Tom Stoppard TV play "Professional Foul."
The entire legal system has been compromised, that’s for sure. But by the same argument, everything we do is in vain, whatever we do, especially obeying the law. The way to return to a nation of laws, is for everyone to obey the law and hold accountable those who don’t.
Sure Trump ignores the laws, court orders, subpoenas and even the constitution. But he doesn’t really know the boundary between his immunity and criminal prosecution. He’s desperately afraid of the midterms, because he’ll be impeached and removed from office. He’s running out of time to limit voters, even if he “obliterates” the Postal Service. He’s no longer obeyed by all his puppets in Congress, and after the midterms, the entire cabinet will be impeached — do you think all Republican Senators think Hegseth is a great Secretary of Defense (gulp, I mean War, which will go the way of the Gulf of America). Plus, he’s dying, and everyone who hates him, including Vance, will close in. Staunch MAGA supporters don’t even vote for his picks in the primaries.
You are right. The law has been corrupted and can’t be resurrected by anyone who has the power and courage to do it. But by strict adherence to law, and our refusal to let the .1% rule the world or steal all our assets, we have a chance. Even with the redistricting there’s no guarantee that the people left will choose corrupt Republicans.
It will take many years to undo enough of the damage to start feeling free again. We have to respect and trust one another, and stand our ground against Fascists. We can then restore kindness to the Federal and State governments and budgets.
The “stupidity” of the masses is born of religious nationalist leaders who profit from ignorance. But when they realize that there’s no “them” for budget cuts, that they will lose along with the neighbors who they think are stealing Healthcare and jobs from them, it will take time to find out they are in deep trouble, and their beloved pastors, who are really stealing their money, have left town. There is no “them” to blame, only “us”.
Well I would agree with what you're saying here, except I ALSO think we have to go much further. We need a new legal system framework in which there are penalties for filing bogus lawsuits like this. Kat Abughazaleh (and others) was sued by the DOJ for simply being at an ICE protest, and even though the court threw the case out in the very first hearing, she's still something like $10,000 in legal debt. We HAVE to defang the weaponization of legal fees and penalize anybody, even the DOJ, who brings these kinds of animus suits against people, hospitals, politicians, and other political opponents.
And that's just step one of the reforms we need to see. We need an ENTIRE Reconstruction, we need to finish the work that freed African Americans fought for and white Americans have fought to destroy. And we need to extend it to queer people, to trans people, to Muslims, to any other minority that's being targeted. We need to build an America in which EVERYONE has true freedom and "equity" is not a dirty word, but instead an (admittedly imperfect at times) ladder that we use to bring everybody up to the same level.
One step will be to assemble a team of lawyers to provide pro bono assistance to victims of dilatory civil lawsuits, and to penalize the DoJ for filing them, and bill the supposed victims for all legal fees. The DoJ must have a higher standard for filing administrative subpoenas, instead of handing them out like Halloween candy, to ICE as well as people who use the courts to harass parties with cases the accuser will lose.
Highly placed public figures should be prohibited from filing defamation lawsuits when they can’t prove monetary damages. And charged with criminal perjury if the evidence cannot be backed up by neutral parties.
Evil, the whole lot of them. Those records are nobody's goddamn business.
Excellent investigation and reporting pulling all these pieces together.
It is frustrating that none of the so-called mainstream media is bothered to report on this egregious use of the justice system to attack children.
Well, of course! Sexuality as defined by a many-time sexual offender … makes sense in our new Bizzaro World!
There’s a song that has been playing in my head these past few days. “What’s It To Ya” sung to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus, you know *The Messiah* one where we’re supposed to stand up. Artist: Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio. I think you’ll enjoy it. https://youtu.be/F45EuGKE5rY?si=jUwHan8suLZQC-jv
(don’t worry, it only clocks in at 2:30 minutes, not nearly as long as Handel’s version. 😏)
What's it to ya?
What's it to ya?
What's it to ya?
What's it to ya?
Why don't you go about your own business?
What's it to ya?
It's none of your concern
So just buzz off
It's none of your concern
So just buzz off
So just buzz off
Thank you Chris. Excellent work in pulling it all together.